Floodplain Mapping Funding Guidebook for BC …

1 Prepared byBritish Columbia Real Estate AssociationYuill Herbert, Ian Picketts Sustainability Solutions GroupTamsin Lyle Ebbwater ConsultingMay 2014 Floodplain Mapping Funding Guidebook for BC Local Governments Funded, in part, byFloodplain Mapping Funding Guidebook for BC Local GovernmentsContentsExecutive summary ..1 Introduction and purpose ..2 Floodplain Mapping Funding overview ..2 Floodplain Mapping Funding in British Columbia ..2 Funding approaches in other provinces ..3 Mapping approaches in other countries ..5 Moving forward ..6 Understanding and minimizing the cost of Floodplain maps ..6 Funding strategies ..7 Common Funding options build a case for using general revenue.

2 8 Common Funding options grant programs ..9 Creative Funding options ..11 Innovative 15 Summary ..19 Bibliography ..20 Appendix ..22 1 Floodplain Mapping Funding Guidebook for BC Local GovernmentsExecutive summaryIn carrying out their flood management responsibilities, communities in BC struggle to find Funding sources for Floodplain Mapping projects. Floodplain maps provide visual information on where floodwaters are expected to go; therefore, they are the most logical first step in flood management and must be updated other critical tasks undertaken by communities, Floodplain maps can be costly to produce; unlike physical infrastructure projects, there are no dedicated Funding mechanisms in Canada for this work.

3 Of countries that belong to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Canada is in the minority in not having a national program that undertakes or funds Floodplain Mapping . With few Funding options available, BC communities must take creative approaches, often employing multiple strategies. Discussions with municipalities, regional districts, industry groups, practitioners and researchers have resulted in a list of Funding strategies that may be suitable for acquiring Funding for Floodplain Mapping activities: Common Funding optionso General revenueo Grant programs Creative Funding optionso Development approval information areaso Development cost chargeso Partnerships and collaborations o Civic crowd sourcing Innovative optionso Floodplain authoritieso Flood protection service or utilityo Taxationo InsuranceWhile the strategies presented in this Guidebook are not exhaustive, they can form a starting point for communities to undertake Floodplain Mapping .

4 2 Floodplain Mapping Funding Guidebook for BC Local GovernmentsIntroduction and purposeFloodplain maps and other technical studies form a foundation to inform decisions about how and where communities grow. Unfortunately, many existing Floodplain maps in BC are at least 20 years old, which leaves local decision makers with unreliable information with which to effectively assess and manage flood hazards. In BC, legislative changes in 2003-2004 handed primary responsibility for flood management to local government. Unfortunately, this change was not supported with additional expertise or financial During a workshop in March 2013, stakeholders identified three types of challenges that impede Floodplain Mapping projects: political, technical and Guidebook aims to help communities explore innovative Funding strategies.

5 Investigation into Funding programs and Floodplain Mapping activities across British Columbia, Canada and other countries has resulted in a short list of Funding strategies that may provide support for Floodplain Mapping projects. Where possible, the strategies and incentive options include references to Funding programs in communities that have recently completed Floodplain Mapping exercises. While other Funding programs may exist, and several options described represent untested directions that require further investigation, this report provides a basis for those investigations and a starting point to help communities overcome some of the financial obstacles to updating Floodplain maps.

6 This work was supported by research and interviews by Sustainability Solutions Group and Ebbwater Consulting, and funded by the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia and the British Columbia Real Estate Association. Floodplain Mapping Funding overviewUnderstanding and preparing for risk posed by natural disasters is one of many important community efforts. Floodplain maps provide an essential technical tool for flood management, including mitigation strategies and emergency response. Simply put, Floodplain maps provide visual information on where floodwaters are expected to go. The level of effort and cost required to develop Floodplain maps varies according to the type and scale of map created.

7 A summary of types, uses and costs is available on the BCREA website at Floodplain Mapping Funding in British ColumbiaMany of the Floodplain maps developed in BC were prepared using funds from the Flood Damage Reduction Program (FDRP) that was actively funded from 1975 through 1998. This program led to BC-federal agreements in which federal and provincial governments equally shared the Federal participation in flood management was effectively withdrawn at the conclusion of the FDRP, leaving responsibility for Floodplain Mapping to the provinces. In BC, this responsibility was further devolved to local communities through legislative changes in Since then, few communities have initiated Floodplain Mapping As well, while the Local Government Act, provides local governments with the power to designate floodplains and create related bylaws and regulations, it does not require them to do so, meaning that the political impetus for Floodplain management is left to be provided by local BC Real Estate Association, 20133 Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, 20104 Lyle & McLean.

8 2008 3 Floodplain Mapping Funding Guidebook for BC Local GovernmentsFewer than ten municipalities and regional districts completed Floodplain maps between 2008 and 2013, either as a response to extreme weather events or as a component of a risk reduction strategy. These projects have been funded through a mix of grants, support from other levels of government and partnerships. A few of these strategies are highlighted in Table 1 - Strategies used to fund recent Floodplain Mapping projectsMajor Funding resourceUsed byNotesGas TaxCowichan Valley Regional DistrictDistrict of SquamishCity of VancouverThe Gas Tax fund may provide up to 100% Funding for projects.

9 Funding from other sources is encouraged, but not Resources Canada s Regional Adaptation Collaborative ProgramCity of VancouverIncludes internal matching funds and collaboration with Port Metro RevenueCowichan Valley Regional DistrictCity of Surrey*Maple RidgeDistrict of North VancouverCity of North Vancouver (with the District)City of VancouverCity of Prince George* Floodplain Mapping undertaken as part of City of Surrey s drainage utilities general Valley Regional DistrictRegional District of Central KootenayDistrict of North Vancouver and City of North , nearby municipalities, regional districts, First Nations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, research institutions, utilities, other approaches in other provincesSince the close of the FDRP, other provinces have either continued to fund Floodplain Mapping or, similar to BC, handed down responsibility to communities.

10 The result of varying approaches to flood management in Canada is a patchwork of Floodplain Mapping across the country, with some jurisdictions having consistently-regulated and well-funded programs and others having very little oversight and support. Table 2 provides a summary of approaches to Floodplain Mapping in other provinces. While many of the approaches rely on provincial funds, others highlight opportunities for establishing dedicated agencies responsible for Floodplain Mapping and in forming strong collaborative partnerships. In Ontario for instance, Conservation Authorities are responsible for updating Floodplain maps using Funding from self-generated sources, municipal levies and provincial Conservation Authorities stem from the 1946 Conservation Authorities Act, which created a mechanism for municipalities and the provincial government to form and partner with 36 Conservation Authorities.